


and in the streets you run free

by orphan_account



Category: In the Heights - Miranda
Genre: Declarations Of Love, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, F/M, Light Angst, M/M, Marriage Proposal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-01
Updated: 2017-02-02
Packaged: 2018-09-21 07:05:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,046
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9537158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: It's endless summers and blue moonlight and the feeling of falling in love for the first time.--Or,a look at how some of the couples of the barrio get engaged.





	1. the apple of my eye

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first foray into Heights fic so be gentle with me!! 
> 
> Apparently I'm late to everything, and while I fell in love with In The Heights almost four months ago now I never really had the courage to post anything I've written with the characters?? I do have all three chapters written though so they'll be posted promptly! 
> 
> Of course all the characters belong to Lin-Manuel Miranda, and the title is from _Home_ by Edward Sharpe  & The Magnetic Zeros. 
> 
> Also — a quick apology for any mistakes in this, I've checked it over for grammatical errors but please let me know if there's anything wrong with things like characterization or what not as this is really a big writing exercise for me and I've never actually seen the show. 
> 
> Enjoy?

    _ **i. USNAVI & VANESSA ** _

 

When Vanessa thinks about marriage, she immediately thinks about the aftermath. 

She thinks about the fights and the anger that builds up between the two people involved until the foundation just cracks. She thinks about the _leaving_ part, because the night her dad uprooted his life and left the barrio will forever be ingrained into her mind. The mother she was left living with was broken, dealing with something on the inside that resulted in drinking the pain away. And Vanessa is, well. She's hesitant, because she never thought of herself as someone who would want to get married after watching a relationship crumble first hand.

Sure, there have been people in the past; girlfriends and even a boy or two she thought she'd end up with for good. Vanessa is beyond thankful now that those flings never advanced to that point of settling, because she has Usnavi and he's her  _person_ and she wants to tell the world to suck it when she's with him. Marriage though...it still makes her nervous, because what if she's left alone again? 

Usnavi, however, has a completely different outlook on the concept of marriage. 

Let it be known that he's a closet romantic, and while the future freaks him out, and he knows that tomorrow isn't promised, he _knows_ that he wants to call Vanessa García his wife some day. He often questions how it's possible for someone like  _Vanessa_ — someone beautiful and daring, a goddess, really — to want to date someone like  _him_. But it's been two years and six days (who's counting) and he wakes up every morning with a beautiful woman curled around him, someone he gets to kiss and hold and sometimes be held by. And they're going to be the first to hit this next step because they love with their whole hearts and will never be caught doing anything half-assed. Usnavi's going to propose, he decides, going to make it known to the whole damn world that his heart sings for Vanessa and his soul worships hers. 

The following day, Sonny's the first to notice his cousin's weird behaviour. 

Usnavi's late to his opening shift, which is strange in and of itself, but then he barely mutters three words to Sonny before he spends most of the morning nervously pacing up and down the aisles of the store. After an hour and a half of his nonsense, Sonny glances up from his phone and looks, unimpressed but not surprised, at his cousin. 

"Yo," Sonny starts, but when Usnavi doesn't say anything, he tries once more. " _Usnavi_ , yo, what's eatin' at your brain?" 

Usnavi, probably the worst liar on the block save for Carla, mutters, "Nothing." 

"Cuz, c'mon. Spill." Sonny slips his phone into his pocket and rests his elbows atop the counter, propping his chin in his hands. Usnavi pulls off his hat and runs a nervous hand through his hair. After what must be a quick, thirty-second mental breather, Usnavi puts his hat back on and drags his stool over to sit across from his now eighteen-year-old cousin. Sonny pulls a Pepsi from the fridge and meets Usnavi's gaze. "It can't be that bad, man." 

"I bought an engagement ring." 

Sonny almost spits out his drink. 

"Shit, really?" Sonny asks, and Usnavi gives him a glare for the language, which, what does he expect, Usnavi only rubbed off on him as a kid. Especially hanging around Benny and the taxi drivers all the time.

"Well, I mean, I paid to get the one mamá gave me resized, and to replace the stone." Usnavi's eyes start darting back and forth nervously. "What, do you think it was a bad idea? I mean, it's only been two years, what if Vanessa freaks out and dumps me?" 

His next move is to bury his face in his palms and groan. Sonny slips around the counter, and rests an arm over his shoulders. 

"Hey, if she don't wanna marry you...well, I'd understand it —" 

Usnavi nudges him in the side, and Sonny lets out a little huff of laughter when he just  _stares_ at him. Sonny raises his hands in mock surrender, metaphorically waving a white flag. 

"But seriously, Usnavi, don't worry. If you think you're ready, you just gotta do it. Seize the day, or whatever." Sonny squeezes his arm, and Usnavi nods, mainly to himself. "O _kay_. Now that the pep talk is over, is it cool if I go and help Pete—" 

"Go," Usnavi says, and Sonny grins. He runs out of the bodega, on the lookout for the punk that Usnavi is trying (he really is) to come around to. With a small sigh, Usnavi turns his attention away from the window when his cousin has disappeared beyond his vantage point, and focuses more on the idea of doing it. Of asking Vanessa to marry him. He thinks of the box currently nestled under a pile of socks in his drawer, the ring inside belonging to his mother before she passed away, and he thinks of it, delicate and silver on Vanessa's finger. His heart starts thumping faster in his chest at the thought of it. Of Vanessa. Someone from the heavens that for whatever reason, chose  _him_. 

He fumbles for his phone and flips it open, scrolling through his contacts until he finds Vanessa's number. He texts her about coming down for dinner tonight, because he's going to be classy about it. She's been working both at the salon up in the Bronx and nights at a club as a bartender, just to make ends meet. Her schedule is crazy, so Vanessa's simple reply of  _sure, be there at 7_ is understandable. Then he calls and manages to get a reservation at one of the fancier restaurants in town; where you can perfectly see the stars over the water. 

When the time comes to get ready, he goes simple, and neither Sonny or Benny are helpful with their cheers and playful hollers when he walks out of his room in a pair of dress pants and a collared shirt. Then he picks up Vanessa from the station — in a very fancy cab, don't judge him — and the driver gets them to their destination in no time. During the drive, Vanessa ruffles his hair and says something about how this _must_ be a fancy date, because he's never seen without a hat, and Usnavi just blushes. When the car stops, Usnavi tips the driver, loops his arm through his girlfriend's and guides her to the back of the dining room, closest to the big floor-to-ceiling window. 

Vanessa is, well, to put it simply, stunning. She's a sight in her black dress that hugs all of her curves, and her hair is like a waterfall down her back, cut slightly shorter than when they first got together. Usnavi fiddles with the cuffs of his shirt and sips at the champagne that Vanessa ordered with a grin on her cherry lips. 

"Van?" Usnavi asks, tentative, as they pick at the assortment of dishes they ordered to share. She looks up from a plate of pasta, but continues to curl some noodles around her fork. 

"Yeah, baby?" Vanessa looks somewhat concerned at the tone of his voice, eyebrows knit together, and he takes a breath and thinks  _this is it this is it_ when a gasp comes from the other side of the room, followed by multiple people erupting into a cheer. A couple is embracing, and there's a ring with a big diamond on the girl's finger, and music starts playing from somewhere like it was planned out with the restaurant. Music from a band. With _violins_. 

"Well damn, that's cute." Vanessa mutters, her eyes trained on them too, and Usnavi grunts under his breath. How can he top that? He can't propose to the love of his life in the same room as a newly engaged couple, and they look so  _happy_ — 

Vanessa's fingers curl around his wrist. 

"Hey, you okay?" Vanessa asks, and when he doesn't answer she squeezes more. " _¿Bueno?_ "

"Oh, erm, yeah, I'm good.  _Lo_ _prometo_." Usnavi forces a smile, and ducks his head, and she frowns. Their conversation is dulled by the tension, and by the end of the night Vanessa isn't talking to him, annoyed with his apparent disinterest in their date. He can barely keep up with her when they leave the restaurant, her strides long and quick with her anger. When they get to the corner, and they're awkwardly standing next to each other, waiting for a light to turn, she gives up. 

"Yo, okay, Usnavi." She pulls on his arm. "What the hell is going on?" 

"What do you mean?" Usnavi asks. He notices a stoop and plops down on the third step. Vanessa huffs and folds her arms over her chest, and remains standing. 

"It's just — you haven't spoken to me for most of the night! Did I do something?" 

Usnavi jumps up, and gently rests his hands on her arms. "No, no,  _querido_ , no. You didn't do anythin'." 

"But what's with the silent treatment?" Vanessa still looks unsure, and Usnavi runs a hand down his face. 

"Look, I, it's just," Usnavi looks around, and spots an old record shop across the road, and something shifts in his chest. "Remember that place?" 

Vanessa turns around, and slowly nods. "I told you my guilty pleasure was 80's glam rock and you told me —" 

"—I love you." Usnavi finishes, and she turns back to him with the smallest of smiles on her lips. It'd been such a good day, a late afternoon in November when it was too chilly for their planned walk around the park, so they found that shop and they'd spent hours going through the old LPs and cassette tapes. They'd been dating for about four months then, and Usnavi had just let the words slip out of his mouth. He loves her _so much_ , it hurts sometimes. 

"Van? I really love you." Usnavi whispers, and something clouds in her eyes when she notices the seriousness of his tone. He takes her hand as he continues to speak. "And I was gonna do this back at the restaurant but I felt weird with that other couple, and you know I ain't great with words but I just... I love you, and I don't want to ever leave you. I want you in my life forever. I mean, if you'll have me." 

Vanessa runs long fingers through her hair, a nervous tick he's picked up on because he has his own. She stares down at her feet, and he notices the glistening in her eyes, and then she mumbles  _fuck_ and launches herself at him, arms curled around his neck. He's sweaty because of the nerves and the summer heat that's starting to latch itself onto the city, but she doesn't seem to mind. She just kisses him, and his hands are careful on her waist, and she pulls back with a laugh that makes him want to die a little. 

"Marriage is like, it's a big thing, y'know?" Vanessa wrings her hands, touches her forehead with the heel of her hand, licks her lips. He wipes at the lipstick smudging around his mouth with the back of his wrist.

"I know." Usnavi had this voice at the back of his mind telling him the same thing all day. _Should he be doing this?_ Sure, he's twenty-six and he's at a good place in his life right now, but is Vanessa ready? She'd be twenty-two in a few months but even then...is it right of him to snatch her from her bigger dreams? But he decides that this is absolutely what he wants, despite the risks, despite the looks they'll probably get from neighbours for being on the younger side. He just doesn't care what they think. "But you and me, we  _got_ this." 

Vanessa just stares at him, and it's like she's processing all of this in her mind, too. 

"I thought you were gonna break up with me or somethin'." Vanessa admits, laughing a little at herself, and then shakes her head and looks him right in the eyes. "But does this mean — are you formally askin' me to marry you?" 

Usnavi scratches the back of his neck, heart pounding in his ears.  _Now or never_. He pulls the ring from his pocket and holds it out for her. "Yeah?" 

Vanessa grins, and motions for him to slip on the ring. He was right, it looks natural, perfect, like it's meant to be there. The silver glints in the moonlight and now he's crying as she cups his face in her hands and mumbles  _yes, yes of course I'll marry you, te amo_ against his lips. Usnavi whispers it back, wants to shout it from the rooftops that he loves her. She stands back to look at the ring with astonishment, and Usnavi can't help but to smile into her hair. 

He thinks,  _this is it_ , because he's sure he's never been quite this happy in his life. 

Vanessa looks at him and she knows, just with one glance, that for this man she'd climb a mountain. He makes her so unbelievably happy, all the time, and why should she shrink back in fear? 

The next time she's at the salon, the rumours have already been flying for fourteen hours and Daniela stops her with hands on her shoulders when Vanessa strides up to her station. The woman she considers to be an older sister speaks to her in Spanish, something too quick for her to catch, but there's only one thing for Vanessa to do when more questions are consistently thrown at her. 

With a cocked hip and a grin she'll deny until her wedding, she shows off her ring with pride. Daniela claps wildly and Carla swoons, hands clasped against her chest. They ask her about the proposal and Usnavi and last nightwith suggestive tones but she throws it off. She looks up to the ceiling, where the fan is trying to keep up with weather, and nods to herself, letting their voices wash over her. She's got an amazing fiancé and a job with the women she loves and Nina'll be home soon. Her happiness is chilling, and there's only one thing left to think when she realizes all that's been given to her in such a short period of time. 

 _Suck it, world_.  

 

 


	2. alleyways and payphone calls

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick thank you for the comments I received on my last chapter! Now, onto some Benny and Nina!

     _ **ii. BENNY & NINA**_

 

Her only request is to wait until after graduation. 

Nina is...the sun. She's a dreamer, she has high aspirations and feels the pressure of the barrio even after basically finishing her full program at Stanford now; and before she can even think about settling down — even if she loves Benny more than anything — she wants her degree. This has been the deal since their first summer together — those early days of June almost four years ago, where their time was spent experiencing everything that they could. Benny was Nina's first  _everything_ , and they enjoyed hours alone in one another's presence, just living and falling hard. When Benny first starting mulling over the idea of getting married one day (he did so vocally, to test the waters with his girlfriend) she had told him it had to be after her graduation. 

He gets it. That's the thing, he really does get where she's coming from. They manage a long-distance relationship, they manage with phone calls and weekly Skype sessions and even hand-written letters.

But when Nina comes back for the summer, or when he manages to scrap together enough money to fly to California for a weekend, he just feels this pull to drop to one knee and profess his undying love for the barrio's best. He tries to keep his plans quiet, because when the day comes, he wants Nina to be surprised. He only manages to talk to Vanessa about it, because she's Nina's best friend and she can keep a secret. 

When May rolls around, Benny has his mind set on proposing and he has Kevin Rosario's blessing. While Vanessa had rolled her eyes at the old fashioned practice, Benny just — he needed to know that Kevin wasn't going to be pissed at him. Things had _finally_ cleared up between them after their mini-fallout when he and Nina got together, and it wouldn't sit well with Benny, who's idolized the man and considered him to be a father figure since he was twelve years old. And then, before they know it, Camila and Kevin are leaving for the ceremony, and they get the call when Nina gets her diploma, and Benny's so proud he could burst. Usnavi does let a few tears fall, and he's clutching a photo of Abuela Claudia, making sure her presence is known on this huge day.

Benny realizes it's _real_ and this is happening the morning of the big day. 

Nina and her parents would be back by noon, and Benny's mind has been occupied with that fact all day. He strolls into the bodega at his normal time, watches as Usnavi swears in Spanish at the ceiling fan that's broken down again. Despite the renovations he did with his lottery winnings, things still seemed to break on an almost weekly basis. He's up on a rickety ladder when Benny gets inside, and he huffs and rushes forward to hold onto it so his friend doesn't fall on his ass.

He must _look_ like his mind's pre-occupied, too, because Graffiti Pete gives him a double-take when he arrives. 

"Yo man, y'alright?" Pete asks, and Benny snaps to attention. Usnavi's making his way down the rungs of the ladder and he steps back, reaching up to rub at the back of his neck.

"Shit, yeah. I'm cool." Benny says, and Pete looks like he doesn't believe him. But the artist just slides behind the counter and Usnavi doesn't blink an eye at it, and sometimes Benny forgets that they're apparently cool, now. Usnavi claimed a few weeks back that he needed extra hands around the bodega, especially with wedding planning, and Sonny had volunteered Pete. And Pete needed the money, because selling t-shirts and doing odd jobs was barely helping to pay the rent, and Benny's just surprised Usnavi hasn't killed him yet. He has a very high suspicion Sonny is their common ground; the reason they're willing to put their differences aside.

Pete slides him over a coffee and his papers and Benny thanks him with a nod. He reads over the headlines and settles onto Usnavi's usual stool, while said man sorts through the tabloids and frowns at the ridiculous covers. He gives up after a while and slumps against the counter, sipping at a bottle of water that's sweating with condensation. Sonny waltzes in half an hour later, lifts a hand in a salute to them, and he settles next to Pete comfortably, tucked under his arm like he belongs there. 

"Sup," is the first thing Sonny says, which is quickly followed by a ramble to Usnavi about the hot water — or lack thereof — in the apartment. 

"Well, you barely live there anyway, cuz," Usnavi gives him a pointed look over his bottle, "and I'm gonna be movin' out soon anyway, so we can put it up for sale or somethin'." 

Sonny grabs at his heart in shock, while Pete fondly rolls his eyes and then meets Benny's gaze. 

" _Sell_ Abuela's apartment? Are you crazy, Usnavi?" 

"No, but we ain't gonna be needing it anymore and —"

Their voices continue to rise, both de la Vega's anything but calm when it comes to things like this. Passionate souls, or something. Finally, Benny gets to his feet and announces: 

"I'm gonna ask Nina to marry me." 

The declaration cuts the conversation right off, and Sonny drops the candy bar that he'd picked up at some point in the last three minutes. Pete lifts an impressed eyebrow, and Usnavi whoops, already jumping around and grabbing him in a hug. 

"Finally! Benny, it's been like, four years." Usnavi states, pulling back to clap the taller man's shoulder. 

"Aight, slow down little man. We ain't like _some_ people, getting engaged all quick and shit." Benny says, and Sonny lets out a bark of laughter, until Usnavi shoots him a glare and he suddenly finds interest in Pete's paint-splattered wristband. 

"I'm just _sayin'_ , I'm happy for you. And Nina," Usnavi lights up, eyes shining, "Oh man, when are you gonna do it? Can you record it?" 

Benny rests a hand on his arm to shut him up. 

"They're flying back today so I thought maybe tonight? After the club?" 

Usnavi actually claps. "And the ring?" 

"It's back at my place. I bought it like, three years ago." 

"Damn, you're prepared." Sonny quips, and Benny stares at the ceiling in exasperation. 

Benny leaves the bodega after another ten minutes of encouragement, and he bumps into some tourists as they walk into the store after him. He apologizes and tries to maneuver around the families, lifting his coffee in the air to keep it from spilling over. When he manages to cross the street, he walks to his apartment and slowly gets ready for the coming night out. It'd been planned amongst everyone for months: the night Nina came back, they'd take the nearest club by storm. A few hours later, Nina's home, and Vanessa grabs her and claims her to get ready. 

They're all crowded into Vanessa's studio, and Benny looks around, taking it all in. Meanwhile Usnavi, comfortable and practically living with her since their engagement, flips through a magazine left on the couch. Sonny's chatting happily to Pete on the arm chair that really shouldn't fit them both, but somehow it does. There's a pointed cough from the hallway and all eyes settle on Vanessa as she steps out in a beautiful red number, which is off the shoulder and falls to her mid-thigh. Usnavi's eyes are practically bulging out when she twirls around and the fabric swirls around her body. 

Nina's out next, and Benny's heart stops for a minute. It's been so  _long_ since he's seen her, and here she is, in a stunning dress that shimmers in the light; a dark purple colour that brings out her eyes. It has a cut-out back and Vanessa curls her arm over Nina's shoulders and hugs her close to her side, and Benny blinks quickly a few times and stands up. He holds out his hand and Nina's smile is honest and wide and her dimples make an appreciated appearance. 

The six of them walk over to the club, and they wave at Carla, who's chatting with a few girls at the bar. They dance the whole night away, the atmosphere feeling more comfortable now that they were all paired off; they all had someone concrete and permanent with them. It's maybe two when Sonny and Pete leave, both of them pressed impossibly close to one another, Pete's arm around Sonny as the strobe lights gleam above them. Sonny was still new to the scene, twenty-one this year with only three months of clubbing experience under his belt. He was like Vanessa though, the two of them a menace on the floor together. 

Then it's just the four of them, drinking at a table, and Vanessa's hand dips low and she drags her fingers down Usnavi's back with a suggestive look in her eye. He downs a shot and announces they have to go,  _right now, immediately_ and Benny shares a laugh with Nina as they watch the couple slip out of the club. Benny's never been much of a dancer — he isn't a complete mess like his best friend, though — but Nina giggles when he dips her in the middle of the floor and that's all that matters. 

Neither of them are really big partiers, but they end up leaving when the last call for the bar is called out. It's almost four-thirty, but they're both high on adrenaline and each other. Benny wants to take Nina to one of the nice coffee shops on this side of town, one that he's only been to a couple of times but he remembers twinkle lights and soft music and pastel colours; it's pure romance open early in the morning. At least that was the plan. As they're leaving, some asshole whistles and grabs at Nina too many times, and despite the obvious disinterest written on her features and her clear statement of  _no, back off_ , the guy follows them outside. The next thing Benny knows, after another catcall, he has bruised knuckles and a busted lip. 

"Are you sure you're okay, Benny?" Nina asks, for the fourth or fifth time, pressing an ice pack to his mouth. The bouncer had given it to her when he got the guy off Benny, and now they sit on a bench halfway to the coffee shop. Benny groans in response. "Maybe we should get you checked out by a doctor." 

"No, wait, Nina —" Benny gently moves her hand, holding up the ice, from his face and instead holds it with one of his own. 

"Benny..." 

He reaches up, cups her cheek, swipes his thumb over her cheekbone. 

"Nina, I," Benny stops, looks down at the ground. Meets her lovely eyes once more, glistening and clouded over with concern. _God, he loves her so much_. "I didn't want the night to end up like this." 

" _Hey_ , don't say that. I had such a good time with everyone," Nina squeezes his hand, gentle and mindful of his pain, "especially with you." 

"I wanted to give you this." Benny whispers, pulling the black box out of his pocket. She gasps a little as she lifts the lid, taking in the thin rose-gold band, the oval cut diamond in the middle. She slowly meets his eyes once more. "And ask you if you'd do me the pleasure of marrying me?" 

"Benny..." Nina says, hand shaking slightly as she takes it all in. Her pretty laugh rushes down his spine. " _Yes,_ oh my god." 

He grins and slips the ring onto her finger and pushes through the pain to kiss her. They're smiling too much for it to be a real kiss, but it doesn't matter because they're _together_. Then he thinks of the circumstances in which he asked her, and pulls away to sheepishly ask: 

"But do you think we can stick to the story that I asked you at the coffee shop?" 

Nina tips her head back and laughs, curls falling down her shoulders, all the stresses of school and the pressure of the barrio gone and  _shit_. He gets to marry  _her_. 

"I think I can manage that." Nina smiles, and Benny's so happy he feels like he could burst. 

The next day, Benny wakes up first, and slips out of the bedroom to make breakfast at two in the afternoon. Nina's still fast asleep, face smushed into his pillow, the Stanford shirt he's been wearing for months after his last visit ridiculously large on her frame. He cracks eggs into a bowl, and he's not the best cook but his mom taught him a few things when he was younger, and while the skillet heats up he finds the photo that he and Nina took before they got back to his apartment. It's them with their heads tilted together, the lights of the coffee shop that they eventually got to in the background, Nina's hand lifted to show off the ring. 

He fumbles with his phone, manages to get a black and white filter over the picture before he selects Usnavi's contact and sends it to him, with no message attached. When he gets about one hundred exclamation marks in reply, followed by a message from Vanessa containing only a video of Usnavi dancing around the apartment at the news, Benny just grins. He loves his friends, he loves his fiancée, and he can't wait for what'll come next. 


	3. man, oh man, you're my best friend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again for the wonderful feedback! Here's some Sonny and Pete!

     _ **iii. SONNY & PETE**_

 

"I think I wanna marry Sonny." 

Vanessa, hand on her swollen belly as she lifts her coffee to her lips, looks up at him with a quirked brow. It was a quiet day in the bodega, and they were waiting for Sonny and Usnavi to return from whatever errand they were running so they could go for lunch all together. She puts her cup down on the counter, reaches up to take ahold of her long hair and pull it over one shoulder. "What brought this on?" 

Pete shrugs a little, and mulls over it in his mind, because _when did_ this idea come to him? He's been with Sonny for six years, now. They've been together through everything, the shift from being best friends to boyfriends happening effortlessly, practically over night. In the beginning, they'd spend hours with one another everyday, and he didn't realize the flirting was obvious to others until Vanessa came to him when he was painting one day and flat-out asked if he was dating Sonny. He  _wasn't_ , not then, but over the span of three weeks that slowly changed, and the night of the blackout helped urged them along to get their shit together. 

And then everyone else was suddenly paired off, and Usnavi was actually trying to get to know him, _welcoming_ him, and Pete was brought into this friend group and all of a sudden he  _belonged_. 

"I don't know, I mean..." Pete flicks his gaze away from Vanessa's eyes, and tries to think of the moment he knew for sure. "I never even thought I'd get married, but I—I love him."

Vanessa reaches over and squeezes his hand. Pete swallows. It comes to him then that it's been a combination of moments that led to this decision. It was their first mumbled  _I love you_ , almost five years ago, over shared cherry piragua as the sun set. It was the look on Sonny's face when Pete had surprised him with a key to his apartment. It was Usnavi willingly pulling him into a hug and saying he was a part of the family at their first Christmas dinner together. It was Nina and Benny's wedding, followed by Vanessa and Usnavi's three months later, and the love that had filled the air was almost contagious. 

With a small upturn of her lips, Vanessa waves her hand at him, summoning him to the other side of the counter. She must be able to see him working things over in his mind, or something. So he goes, and she slings an arm over his shoulders, and pulls him down to her height. She kisses his cheek, which is probably something she'll blame on her hormones later on, and squeezes him tight. "I think you should do it, kiddo."

He makes a face at the nickname, which she laughs at, because they're barely a year apart in age. Before he can talk more with her about it, Benny barges into the store, little Claudia on his shoulders as he mimes being an airplane. The three-year-old's shrill laughter brings a smile to all of their faces, and as Benny moves up and down the aisles, Vanessa immediately makes her way over to Nina. She's carrying their baby boy in her arms, and he's snoozing, curled against her chest. She's also currently pregnant with their third child, something they announced to the barrio a month ago, so Pete swoops in and easily takes the little guy off her hands. 

"Oh thanks, Pete," Nina grins at him, easily passing over baby Sebastian. Since Claudia was born, Pete's been dubbed as some form of baby whisperer — his ability to calm down babies was random but well-appreciated. He rocks the toddler as he sleeps, and Pete listens as the others chat about strange cravings and weird dreams. Sonny and Usnavi show up twenty minutes later, arms loaded with boxes of goods to stock up the bodega. Claudia's left on the counter so Benny can help them out, and Pete comments on her pretty hair clips. She beams at him for that, and Sonny jumps from behind him, making her giggle with a silly face. 

And Pete...Pete could get used to this. He could get used to the weight of a baby in his arms; he could get used to Sonny at his side through it all. He catches Vanessa's knowing smirk when he passes Sebastian back over to his parents, and he rolls his eyes at her. 

"Well, is this lunch date happenin' or what?" Usnavi asks, arm around Vanessa, hand gentle on her stomach. They head out then, and Pete can't get his mind off the idea of proposing all day. 

"Hey, you okay?" Sonny asks, nudging him lightly in the side, when they're seated at a booth in a small diner downtown. Pete clears his throat, runs a hand over his shaved head. 

"Hmm? Oh, yeah, for sure." Pete forces a smile, and Sonny doesn't look too convinced, but he turns back to his and Nina's conversation anyway. 

The following day, after Sonny leaves for an early-morning shift at the bodega, Pete grabs his backpack and catches a bus into the city. He's never had much money to his name; with his commissions and the odd jobs he completes, and working a few days a week for Usnavi, he has enough to pay his bills. Sonny helps out with the rent, but since Usnavi convinced him to use most of his third of the lottery winnings for college, neither of them were exactly rolling in money. An engagement ring was well out of Pete's non-existent budget, but he had to try. 

He's barely in the store for a minute before all eyes fall on him. The man working behind the counter takes one look at him — at his baggy, paint-covered clothes, the state of his hole-ridden backpack — before scoffing and returning to the other customers. Pete suddenly finds it hard to breathe as he glances at the various showcases, and when he sees some of the prices a part of him dies. He really doesn't want to cheap out on Sonny, he deserves the world, but how can he afford a ring like this when sometimes he can barely keep his lights on? 

Rubbing the back of his neck, Pete slips outside. He's ready to accept defeat, when he notices an antique shop across the street. Figuring he has nothing to lose, Pete makes his way inside. An older woman is running it, and to his surprise, she has exactly what he's looking for. It's a simple gold band, with some zig-zag patterns engraved into it. And it's...it's perfect. Pete scraps up enough to buy it from her, and he keeps it tucked away in his pocket in the little velvet pouch she bags it in. 

There's a big family dinner at the Rosario's apartment the next night, and Pete tries to psych himself up to do it there. Surrounded by family, the people they love the most...it would be perfect. But the whole day, as he blasts music on the street while painting a mural for a local school, even when he stops by the bodega, all he can think about is how everything could go wrong. What if Sonny isn't ready for marriage? He's twenty-two, he's got his whole life ahead of him, he's got a real chance to get out of the barrio. And Pete will probably live on this block for the rest of his life. 

In the end, he spends the hours leading up to the dinner just wishing he could be  _better_ for Sonny. And then they get to the dinner, and the small space is cramped with everyone, and Claudia's vying for attention as she demonstrates her new skill of counting to fifteen in English _and_ Spanish, and it's too much. 

The proposal doesn't happen that night. He freaks himself out too much and he just — he can't bring himself to do it. 

The thing is, Sonny picked up on the whole thing. Pete's been acting weird for almost a week now, and Sonny doesn't know what to do. Naturally, he turns to Nina, and Vanessa's a part of that. Sonny doesn't even plan on letting all his frustrations out, until the women walk into the bodega one day, and it just...happens. At first, they're chatting like normal, and then an hour later Sonny has his head on Vanessa's shoulder while he loosely weaves Nina's curls into a braid. They're listening like they always do, and they have their opinions, and Nina's voice could probably calm him in any situation.

Then Daniela comes in for some packing tape and ends up frowning at the state of a dusty milk crate, before she sits down and joins in on the conversation. She ends up listening to the same spiel Sonny just went on to Nina and Vanessa, and when he's done, slightly freaking out again about the state of his relationship, she reaches forward and squeezes his knee. She's always been a weird sort of mother figure to him, especially after Abuela passed away. She's always spoken out about how he and Carla were like the products of pure sunlight in the barrio, and when one of them was down, she would do anything in her power to make them better. In this moment, it's nice to hear her advice, even if it's usually a little blunt. 

" _Mijo_ , maybe he wants to take things further, but doesn't know how." Daniela says, looking at him like she knows something. Which, in all honestly, wouldn't surprise him but...what would she know about Pete that he didn't? 

"What do you —" 

"Like trying to take the  _next big step_ ," Nina presses, and Sonny furrows his brows until he notices the expression on Vanessa's face, and it kind of hits him all at once.

"Holy shit." Sonny mutters, and Daniela raises her hands in some form of exasperated hallelujah. "Do you— do you think I should ask him?"

The three women just _look_ at him. 

"Okay! Sheesh."

Usnavi returns to the bodega with Benny at his side, the two of them talking about some childhood playground game they couldn't remember the rules to, and Vanessa uses _that_ smile on her husband. Sonny's let off the hook for the rest of the day. It's a good thing, too, because he has some shopping to do, and these women are his experts. 

//

"You're gonna kill me, y'know."  

Pete takes his eyes off Sebastian, who'd fallen asleep on his chest, to watch Sonny dramatically flop onto the couch next to him. He'd just gotten back from reading to Claudia in Spanish — a tradition Nina was trying to instil into her children's nightly routine. She must have finally fallen asleep in their bedroom, the afternoon of activities catching up to her. 

"What d'you mean?" Pete asks, as he shifts Sebastian into his arms, rising off the couch to put him into his crib. He smiles down at the toddler's mess of brown curls, and scrunched up nose. While he's happy he and Sonny volunteered to watch the kids today, so Nina and Benny could have a well-deserved day off, running around with them for seven hours had him stifling a yawn at only eight-thirty. 

"Man, you're like, stupidly cute with kids." Sonny says, like it's obvious. As he sits down, Pete gently pushes at his shoulder. Then he rests his arm around him, and Sonny smiles because the weight's become familiar over his shoulders. It's been a constant in his life since he was sixteen. 

They somehow get all comfortably tangled together, like usual, and Sonny laughs into the kiss. "Y'er all prickly." 

Pete drags his jaw, dusted with stubble due to forgetting to shave, over his cheek just for that. Then they just lay there together, content to drift off, and then Pete looks up at the crib across from them. Into Sonny's hair, he whispers, "I want one." 

Sonny hums, and without looking, somehow knows he's talking about children. "I want, like, five." 

With a chuckle, Pete kisses the top of his head. Something pangs in his chest, and he feels like maybe this is it. He's not great at explicitly speaking about his feelings, but there's been some sort of shift inside of him. He sits up then, and Sonny's eyes dazedly follow the motion as Pete sits back on his ankles. 

"You should marry me first." 

Sonny smiles a little, used to this easy banter they have. "I'd love to." 

Pete swallows, and fumbles with the chain around his neck. He hadn't wanted to lose the ring he bought, so looping a simple silver chain through it and holding it close to his heart seemed like the best plan. The moonlight that's starting to fill up the apartment catches on the ring, and Sonny's eyes widen when he notices what exactly it is. Then, he's scrambling to sit up, too. Pete sets his jaw, inhales sharply.

"Really though," Pete whispers, as he grabs Sonny's hands. "Sonny de la Vega, will you marry me?" 

Sonny's face falls, and Pete's heart literally leaves his body as he says a quiet, "No." 

"Wh-what? I mean, I don't," Pete stammers, fingers starting to tremble. Sonny's eyes widen, and he tries to backtrack immediately. 

" _No no no_ , babe, no," Sonny rests his hands on either side of Pete's face, dragging his head back up to meet his eyes. "Of course I'll marry you, are you crazy? It's just, I had this and I—" 

Sonny reaches into his bag, which he'd tossed onto the coffee table earlier, and produces his own little black box. 

"—wanted to ask you the same thing." 

The gold band inside is eerily similar to the one Pete bought for Sonny. They're both quiet as they stare down at the rings, and then they're slipping them onto their fingers. Once they're on they let out little huffs of laughter as they kiss. 

" _Yes_ ," they whisper unanimously, smiling against one another's mouths.

Yes to love, yes to a future.

Yes to the rest of their lives, together.  

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!! Feedback always makes me happy and constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated. 
> 
> Come say hi on [ tumblr! ](http://bi-kipling.tumblr.com/)


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